The Arizona sentinel., 1887-07-30
THE LEAK.
How the Leonard's Found It, and
 How It was Stopped.

"My pocket-book has a chroni
 habit of leaking. Look at ii, daugh
 ter, and note its flabby, dejected con
 dition, and yet the next payday vii
 not come for nearly half a montl yet'
 Sibyl Leonard glanced up at tho thin bag dangling from her father: fingers, and laughed lightly. "Ar elephant might have stepped on it, V said she. '.Never-mind, you will fill it up again, father"
 "Only to go again in the same mys' terious fashion, persisted MT. Leon ard. "I really can not see into it My salary is fair and promptly paid. Joe Felton has built hi m house or the same I don't smoke, and, of course, don't drink, but I am always out; never a cent ahead. "
 Five hungry children, destitute ot clothes except for that pocket-book, papa" returned Sibyl, still lightly.
 But Mir. Leonard shook his head.
 "It ought to do that, and more. We don't take single paper regularly, we have no books to speak of, and we never travel any,"
 That last sobered Sibyl at once; for was it not her one longing and desire to see something beside this great city in whic's sLe had been born, and out of which she had scarcely gone for day in her life. How often had she fallen asleep with visions of tree-shaded country homes in her busy brain, to waken disgusted to the reality of their narrow, crowded tenement. in a dusty, third-rate street, the chatter and roll of the watercart instead of murmuring brooks, and the milkman's ring and call in place of the song of birds.
 He could have said nothing more ef- fectual to set her thinking when alone, this clear-eyed. sensible-looking girl of eighteen years. Some of the ''thrift' of Scotch ancestry was rousing up in her. Her fathers word 'leak' per sisted in being a suggestive one; and leaks were always useless, calling for a remedy at once. They were not poor, this Leonard family. The head of it, counting wears, good sales man" with fair salary; his wife, an active, energetic housekeeper, able to keep their five children in the public schools, where Sibyl was now in the third, and Ralph in the first year of the high school. Sibyl was fitting for a teacher, and Ralph after one year more was to learn business, and had already begun in a small way as de- liverer of bundles for corner grocery near, out of school hours.
 They always planned for good times was part of the family creed. What was the ''use of living" otherwise? Only, this last year, a lit tie cloud, the ''size of mans hand" darkened the family horizon at times. Mir Leonard complained little of load feelings" sometimes could not eat much, lost sleep and coughed once in a while. Then Mrs. Leonard looked sober, talked about Aunt Fanny who died young "in a decline" and MT. Leonard gave attention, as he had this morning, to his pocket-book.
 Father isn't feeling we'll" his daughter said, now.
 Nothing but driving himself to death. like all the rest of them," the old doctor had said on being consult ed. ''See here, man, give up your counter and tapes for few weeks; go out in the country and fish and swing in hammock, and I'll warrant you quicker cure than all my drugs can give, and longer life than any insur- ance company will book you for, now"
 "Dr. Gray must be getting in his dotage," Mir. Leonard said at home to his wife. Does he take me for a or think clerks can swing around like railroad presidents or Boss Knights?"
 "I wish you could though" his wife wishfully, for he looked pale and thin. You will have most two weeks now," for it was his vacation, couldn't you run off for just little?"
 Bless me, Mary, no! couldn't think of it. But I will tell you what we will do. There's an excursion down the bay tomorrow to Grand Beach; round trip only one dollar, and three hours on the beach. You and I will take that together. It won't be much, and it's an age since we've had real play day"
 "Splendid?' Mrs. Leonard assented, "and l will work my best to-day and finish my new pongee suit, and people will think you have blooming bride at your side" and with merry laugh, the wife of twenty years hastened to her task;